Guna Mola Panel Depicting Santa Claus

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The Parker & Neal Mola Collection - Part 1

By Dana Auctions LLC

May 16, 2026

Set Reminder 2026-05-16 11:00:00 2026-05-16 11:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : The Parker & Neal Mola Collection - Part 1 https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/dana-auctions-llc/the-parker-neal-mola-collection---part-1-23111
The Parker-Neal Mola Collection Auction on May 16 presents a compelling selection of molas drawn from the renowned collection of Ann Parker and Avon Neal, co-authors of Molas: Folk Art of the Cuna Indians. This first offering has been thoughtfully curated to highlight some of the most interesting and visually striking examples from their extensive holdings. Dana Auctions LLC dana@danaauctions.com

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• Lot Description
  Panama (Guna Yala), circa 1970s-1980s 14.5 × 18 inches A whimsical mola panel worked in three layers of reverse appliqué, appliqué, and embroidery featuring a full-length Santa Claus figure surrounded by an exuberant border of stylized flowers and botanical motifs. The composition demonstrates the Guna tradition of documenting and playfully interpreting Western cultural icons encountered through contact with Canal Zone workers, missionaries, and seasonal celebrations. The central Santa figure dominates the composition, rendered in a distinctly Guna artistic vocabulary with a frontal, symmetrical stance. The face is executed with characteristic mola stylization: black horizontal lines representing the eyes and nose, a prominent orange nose, and a white beard created through vertical white striping suggesting the textile or fibrous nature of facial hair. The iconic red suit is rendered in brilliant magenta-red with the body completely filled with dense running stitch embroidery in multicolored threads creating vertical channels and decorative patterns throughout the torso, arms, and legs. Black appliqué cuffs with white running stitch detail mark the wrists and ankles, while black trim with white decorative stitching on boots ground the figure. The border is activated with an elaborate floral and botanical framework. Large four-petaled flowers in pink, orange, and yellow with heart-shaped petals anchor each corner, filled with spiral and decorative embroidery. The background field between the figure and floral border is densely filled with multicolored triangular appliqué elements in yellow, orange, pink, blue, green, and purple, creating a confetti-like celebratory atmosphere appropriate to holiday themes. The three-layer construction creates subtle depth through color reveals, particularly visible in the floral border elements and the figure's costume details. Extensive embroidery work throughout demonstrates exceptional skill with surface decoration, with multicolored running stitch, cross-stitch, and chain stitch creating dense textural patterns that fill virtually every element of the composition. The exuberant color palette and densely packed iconography suggest this panel was created with joy and celebration, documenting a foreign holiday tradition through the lens of Guna aesthetic sensibility. This piece exemplifies an important genre of Guna mola art that documents cultural exchange and the creative interpretation of Western customs. The transformation of Santa Claus into Guna artistic vocabulary—with embroidered body patterns, stylized facial features, and integration with traditional floral motifs—creates a unique hybrid cultural expression that is neither purely Western nor purely Guna, but rather a distinctive product of cross-cultural encounter. Worked on deep red cotton ground with layers in black, white, orange, yellow, green, pink, blue, and purple. Three layers with exceptionally dense hand-stitching and embroidery throughout. Complex curved cutwork in floral elements and figure contours. Extensive multicolored embroidery creating surface texture and decorative fill. Strong compositional control with integrated multiple decorative elements. Single panel on red cotton ground with turquoise backing visible. This piece exemplifies the documentary and playful functions of Guna mola art, celebrating cultural exchange and the creative adaptation of Western iconography into traditional textile practice. Provenance: From the Parker & Neal Collection

  Condition

  Minor wear consistent with age. In house Flat Rate US Shipping of $15 for 1 -10 molas, $5 each additional 10 molas. Insurance is additional and required.
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